How has your writing career evolved?
When I started freelancing, I said yes to pretty much every job that came along. My reasons for doing so were that:
- I needed the publishing credits for my resume
- I needed the money
- I didn’t know when the next job was going to come along
It made sound financial sense to accept everything that came my way. There was only one problem. After about a year of doing that, I began to feel fatigued and less excited about my life as a freelancer. You guessed it – I was suffering from burnout.
Writing – The Second Year
The next year, I took a more balanced approach. I still mostly said yes to jobs, but I began to be more discerning about what I could actually do within a given time. I knew that I wanted to spend time with my family, look after my health and manage some other personal priorities, so I started to get a little bit pickier about what I accepted.
The Third Year
That trend continued into my third and fourth years of freelancing. In fact, I actually began to turn down work from time to time. The longer I freelance, the more aware I become of this reality: I can’t do it all. That means I have to pick the projects which:
- pay well
- fit my time frame
- match my expertise
Five Years On – A New Approach
Heading into my fifth year, I’m finding that things are changing again. I have a fairly stable client base, but I don’t take that for granted. That’s why I’m starting to say yes again to projects that interest me and offer some variety. Unlike the first time round, I am doing this in a phased way, trading up writing jobs so I get closer and closer to freelance writing nirvana.
How has your approach to your writing career changed over the years?
(Photo: Kaptain Kobold)
Article by Sharon Hurley Hall
Sharon Hurley Hall has been mentoring writers here at Get Paid To Write Online since 2005 to help them improve and build sustainable and successful writing careers. Check me out on sharonhh.com. Feel free to connect with me online on Google+.
Sharon has written 653 awesome articles for us at Get Paid to Write Online
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{ 12 comments }
Twitter: GeorgeAngus
February 15, 2010 at 10:46
Hi Sharon,
I write for another Freelancing Blog and just this weekend I wrote a post about the dangers of becoming burned out. I think that initially you take all that you can and work hard to establish a reputation. I know that is what I did. I also didn’t hesitate to kick someone to the curb if they were a unreasonable or pain in the butt client.
With more than half of my second year behind me, I find that I am following in your footsteps and trying to take a balanced approach to the work that I do.
My future plans are to try and remain steady as she goes.
Thanks for sharing this. It’s easy to see why you have been so successful.
George
.-= George Angus´s last blog ..Kindle Thoughts – A Reader’s Perspective =-.
Twitter: shurleyhall
February 16, 2010 at 18:48
Sounds like you’re on the right track, George. There’s a certain satisfaction in reaching the stage where you can be a bit choosy, though as I’ve discovered, the challenges don’t end there. That will be another post one day soon.
Great article. I did that the first year I went total freelance. Burned out in one year, not to mention got totally disillusioned with writing. Now I’m making a more targeted approach, by actively seeking out things I want to write, and limiting “filler” projects. This way, I still get paid, stay in love with my craft, and have more control over my time.
Twitter: shurleyhall
February 17, 2010 at 13:02
Exactly, Krizia. It’s so easy to get burned out that taking a more measured approach is better.
Twitter: annewayman
February 17, 2010 at 09:58
Sharon, congrats on getting through 4+ years… good job. And you’re right, the challenges keep coming.
As near as I can tell, and I’ve been doing this for a long long time, the saying that changes is the only constant is doubly true for freelance writing.
.-= Anne Wayman´s last blog ..Freelance Writing Jobs For Wednesday, February 17, 2010 =-.
Twitter: shurleyhall
February 17, 2010 at 13:04
Or, as the French say, Anne: Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose – the more things change, the more they remain the same.
Great post, Shaon and something i’m only too familiar with.
Up until last week I’ve been putting in 60+ hours per week. Working a full time job 9 to 5, Monday to Friday for a corporate business whilst carrying out my freelance work on an evening and weekend has been leaving me with little spare time and it has only been this week where I’ve realised I’ve started to burnout.
Fortunately, I seem to have reached the next stage of my freelance writing work and have began to be able to say no to a few projects if the work isn’t right, something which, as you say, is a great feeling.
.-= Dan Smith´s last blog ..Got a few freelance writing questions you want answering? Head over to The Renegade Writer =-.
Twitter: shurleyhall
February 17, 2010 at 16:23
Congrats on reaching that milestone, Dan; there’s nothing like it. That period before you transition to full time freelancing is also tough as you have to do two jobs well. It’s good that you have recognized the signs of burnout and can do something about it.
I’m really glad that I found this post because I was worried about burnout after beginning to feel its affects two weeks ago. In fact, I had to take alot of time off to mentally and emotionally rebalance which has lead me to rethink my approach.
I do alot of financial writing for magazines, blogs, and SEO content but am now refocusing on projects that pay more while giving me time to enjoy life as well as experience the enthusiasm I had previously.
My advice to all freelancers is to make sure when you design your business approach and work schedules to take into account the need for balance and recuperation.
The best gift you can give yourself is to say “no” to projects that have little reward and leave you exhausted.
Twitter: shurleyhall
February 19, 2010 at 07:40
Amen to that, Billy.
It’s interesting, I’ve been through a somewhat similar path, and I now feel like I’m moving back to a place not unlike where I began – although with improved skills and a much different outlook on the entire thing.
When I first started freelancing about five years ago, I took absolutely every job I could find, no matter how little they paid (discounting penny-a-word work). I wrote copious amounts, was tired a lot, but kept plugging along, and slowly climbed my way up the pay ladder.
Two years ago I was in a nice space where I was saying yes only to jobs I wanted, generally making ten to twenty times per word what I had been in the beginning, and writing projects that interested me, involved research, often travel, and were things I was happy to have my byline on.
Now, though, I’ve shifted back to $0.03/word writing, cranking out mindless SEO dregs that carry no byline, have no relevance to me at all, and don’t interest me at all. It’s strange, but I actually find it considerably easier, and ultimately more lucrative – now that my research/writing skills are honed from the last five years, I can easily crank out 2k words in an hour, yielding an hourly rate far in excess of much ‘better’ work I was doing.
Best of all, though, is that while it might be more wearying than the work I was doing before, it doesn’t drain me creatively. When I was writing food or travel or wine pieces, I was putting everything I had into them. I’d finish a day of work, and have absolutely nothing left for myself. Now that I’m once again acting as a glorified filter, I find myself with the energy and inclination to work on plays, novels, short stories, and poetry again.
Definitely not a direction I suspect most people would want to take, but I just thought I’d share my own personal journey.
Twitter: shurleyhall
February 19, 2010 at 07:43
It’s a different trajectory, for sure, Brendan, but I’ve got another freelancing friend who says the same. She can do that work quickly, leaving her more creative space for personal projects. I don’t know that it’s the direction I’d want to take myself, but the idea of having more creative energy appeals – food for thought.